Obituary: Nanthachote Chaiyarat, a hero for grass-roots causes

Nanthachote Chaiyarat was a local hero, the wind beneath the wings of movements in which locals fought for their rights in natural resource management and environmental protection.  The 15 years he spent fighting, for nearly half his 38-year life, are worth remembering as a significant chapter in the history of Thai grass-roots movements. The activity that arose from the Pak Mun Dam project is commonly recognised as one of the major grass-roots movements in Thai history. Nanthachote was one of the activists who stood side by side with thousands of villagers in Ubon Ratchathani who were affected by the dam project.

Among Thai activists, he was considered an "adviser" to the Assembly of the Poor. Local villagers, however, showed their respect for Nanthachote by calling him "ajarn" (teacher).

Nanthachote's face can be found in photographs taken at every major event in the history of the Pak Mun movement, including one historic Pak Mun rally held in front of Government House, which authorities dispersed by unleashing dogs.

"He was not a leader type, but he would never leave villagers fighting by themselves as he realised well villagers alonecould not negotiate with government officials or developers equally. He did not lead villagers but stood beside them and was available to give advice when they needed to ask," one activist said.

Despite his high profile among the poor, Nanthachote's life was very simple. He graduated in law from Ramkhamhaeng University, was 38 and the father of three kids. He came from a middle-class family in Nakhon Sawan.

His wife was also a former activist and is now a teacher in Ubon Ratchathani. Even the names he gave his three boys reflect his commitment to the environment - Lamdon, Lamnan and Lammool, which refer to tributaries of the Mekong.

The life of an activist might sound intriguing, but it is certainly a tough one in reality, especially so financially. But Nanthachote decided to go down the tougher route and follow his heart.

"I first met him when he was a student. He joined his friend and set up an activist group called Khob Fai [torch] group. We helped workers fighting for their basic rights at one auto-parts factory called 'Tra Ud'," Jaded Chaowilai, a labour lawyer and activist, said.

His ideology stemmed back to his university days when he joined a sea turtle conservation group in Phuket.

He joined the Assembly of the Poor in 1992.  The more he learned about the problems of the poor, particularly those in the Northeast, the deeper his commitment to the movement strengthened.

Apart from the decades-long Pak Mun case, he has also become involved in other issues involving lands, forests and rivers, especially those related to the Kong-Chi-Mool irrigation project. He supported local villagers in their fight to have a voice in the controversial project and called for sustainable development.

Last Tuesday, on his way to consult villagers impacted by Sirindhorn Dam about their development loans, a car accident on a rainy night took away his life, together with that of his second son Lamman.

"It is a second loss to us, the poor and the grass-roots movement in Thailand, after the death of another leader and adviser Wanida Tantiwittayapitak months ago," said a Pak Mun villager.